“Yes, I understand that, sir, but I’m afraid we’ll still have to contact the main office to verify your credentials. My colleague seems a little confused at not relaying that information. May I see your ID, please?”
Shane leaned over Theo again to stick out his hand, causing the guard to just look at it. Theo let the guard’s thoughts run through his head and knew he was about to step away from the vehicle, knowing something was wrong. Before the guard could turn around, Theo indicated for Tavia to take over.
The guard immediately placed both hands on his head at the pain Tavia was bombarding into his brain, and he stumbled closer to the vehicle to grab ahold of the door to keep himself from falling. Once the man was close enough, Theo grabbed his uniform underneath his neck and jerked him closer to the window.
“Now,” Theo ordered, signaling Tavia to stop her assault and for Shane to begin his.
Once the pain cleared, the guard looked up, and that’s when Shane caught his gaze. “You will open the gate and let us pass through. Once the gate is closed, you will forget you ever spoke with us or ever set your eyes on this vehicle. You will continue with your day as if nothing has happened. Do you understand?”
Again, Theo observed as the pupils of this second guard increased to cover the color of his irises. He also nodded his agreement and then turned to join the other guard inside the small security station. Without hesitation, he pressed a button to open the gates in front of them. “Very well done, team.”
Shane turned around in the seat and started to remove the shackles from Tavia’s wrists and ankles. “Wonder how Reese and Jagger are making out?”
* * * *
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Reese asked skeptically. She looked over at Jagger driving the medical supply truck up to the delivery entrance. He was in a blue uniform accessorized with a blue baseball cap covering his dark hair. She was wearing a similar outfit.
Jagger had used his old federal agent badge to confiscate the delivery truck from the company, claiming to be working undercover. The manager never blinked an eye and went right along with the storyline Jagger was feeding him. Jagger made up a tale of trying to bust a hospital crime ring in distributing illegal drugs, and the only access they had was his delivery company. When the manager, Bert, went along with it, Jagger said they would take over the route for the morning so it wouldn’t cause unwanted attention to anyone who might be watching. Reese shook her head at the lie, not comprehending why the man couldn’t see through it. He definitely watched too much television if he thought that was true, but Bert handed over the route and the van keys with instructions on what boxes got delivered where. It seemed relatively simple considering the names of the recipients were labeled on the boxes.
“Oh, ye of little faith,” Jagger teased, trying to lighten the mood. The tension in the truck was mounting the closer they got to the entrance, and Reese started to clench her hands. “We’ll get her out. I’m proud of you,” Jagger said, looking down at her lap.
Reese followed his gaze to her fists. It was such an unconscious movement, but effective. “You know, my fear will never go away.” She watched as he raised a dark eyebrow in question to her statement. “The fear that I might hurt you or Theo. That I’ll somehow lose my grip on the energy inside me and hurt you like I did before.”
“It’s always a good thing to have a little fear, Reese. It keeps us on our toes and helps keep us balanced.” Jagger maneuvered the stick shift of the van into a lower gear as he prepared to come to a stop. “You have to agree this week has proven we can make our relationship work. And once we have Addison out of here and secured at our home, we’ll sit down with Theo and make long-term plans. Neither one of us is willing to let you go.”
The conversation ended before Reese could reply when Jagger brought the van to a stop in front of the guard station. A man in a green uniform stepped out and made his way to the window. “You two are new. What happened to the old crew?”
“Their delivery van broke down on the way here. Bert told us to transfer the boxes to our truck and continue with their route so the deliveries wouldn’t be delayed. Feel free to call him to confirm,” Jagger offered in a casual tone, feigning innocence.
“Give me a minute.” The guard sauntered back into his station and picked up the telephone.
“Shit,” Reese muttered underneath her breath, “what happens if he’s not calling Bert but someone inside?”
“He’s not smart enough. He’ll ring Bert to cover his ass but won’t want to do any more work than necessary.” Jagger reached over and grabbed her hands, still closed tightly in her lap. “See, he’s already hung up and headed this way.”
“Go ahead. You check out. Pull up to the loading dock and Sam will be there to help unload.” The guard walked away with a wave and pressed the button to open the gate.
“Nothing to it,” Jagger said, smiling and giving Reese a wink. “This will be like taking candy from a baby.”
* * * *
Shane walked down the long hallway, fluorescent lights from above leading the way. It was way too quiet for his liking. The only noise was the shuffling of his shoes echoing off the blank white walls. The plan was for him to blend in as one of the scientists and gain access to the room where Addison was being kept. Theo and Tavia had taken off down another hallway to open the grey secure door that would allow Reese inside. Jagger had stayed out by the vehicle, keeping watch over an unconscious Sam and to be on the lookout for anyone entering through the loading dock. They were banking on Addison’s knowledge from Cane that she had a sister so they could use it to their advantage, hoping Reese’s presence inspired trust so they could take her out of here without much fuss.
Shane had only run into one other person and was turning the corner on the last hallway leading to Addison’s door. Shane had purposefully bumped the woman’s shoulder and compelled her to think he was her coworker. He kept up the pretense of a minute conversation for the security cameras angled his way, hoping the feed into their security room was black and white so that whoever was observing them would think they were just two coworkers having a chat. Shane made it so she gave his shoulder a little tap good-bye, and they both headed separate directions.
Coming to stand in front of the room Addison was allegedly being held in, Shane prayed Theo and Tavia would get here soon. He knew the minute he accessed the keypad and the security camera picked up that he entered the room, they would send someone down immediately to check things out. The one thing going for them was that no one suspected anyone would try to break her out. The element of surprise was on their side, and hopefully, they would be able to use it to their advantage. He looked up and down the hall, not seeing anyone. Where were they?
Taking a deep breath and not wanting to waste time, Shane entered the code Jagger had been told would access the room, turned the handle, and quickly stepped into the room. Letting the door shut quietly behind him, Shane took a quick look around, and his gaze landed on a blonde goddess. This was Reese’s sister? She looked nothing like Reese, and a feeling of concern washed over him. Were they being set up?
“Who are you?” the woman asked, her voice soft like a lullaby.
Shane wasn’t sure how to answer. If this was a setup, they were all screwed. He didn’t speak for a few seconds, taking a look around. The room was stark white with a cot for a bed on the left side and a desk with a chair on the right. The woman standing by the window was wearing dark jeans with a plain white T-shirt. She was petite, no more than five two, and could weigh no more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. Her blonde hair had natural curls that hung to her shoulders with wispy bangs that ended just above her blue eyes. Glancing at her feet, Shane saw she wore a pair of white tennis shoes. Looking for the security camera, he found it above the bed, situated in the corner, its red light blinking that it was in commission.
“What’s your name?” Shane asked, wanting the woman to confirm she was Reese’s sister.
“You should know
my name if you entered my room,” she said, fear starting to show on her face. “Wh-who are you?”
Shane could see he was truly scaring her, and that’s the last thing he wanted, but he still wasn’t sure this wasn’t some type of setup. There was nothing he could do now but hope Theo, Reese, and Tavia showed up soon if things went to hell. He wouldn’t give her his name quite yet, but instead would test the waters. Shane studied her face as he said, “Your sister sent me. If you want out of here, you need to trust me enough to come with me.”
Shane saw recognition in her blue eyes, but she quickly hid it. “I don’t have a sister. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He saw those pretty eyes dart to the security camera and didn’t know if she was thinking of signaling for help or if she was warning him. “I don’t know what they told you, but they can’t hear using those cameras. It’s only visual. Time is running out, Addison,” Shane warned, taking the chance at using her name and seeing it pay off when surprise showed on her face. “This is your only chance of getting out of here. Come with me now.”
Shane was prepared to use his gift of compelling her when Addison took a hesitant step forward. He held his hand out and was surprised at the feeling of protectiveness that washed over him when she placed her tiny hand in his. Did Addison make everyone feel like this? Is that why Cane went through all he did to make sure she was rescued?
Keeping her hand tightly in his, Shane opened the door and heard several footsteps running down the hall. Looking quickly to his right, he saw Theo leading the two women down the hallway and signaling that someone was coming up the other way. He must have picked up on their thoughts, so heeding Theo’s warning, Shane pulled Addison in front of him and shoved her into running. They both ran past the trio and kept going, Reese turning around and falling into step with them. Taking the chance at looking back, Shane saw Tavia stop the two security officers in their tracks. She had them both on their knees, clutching their heads in agony. Knowing those two had that end covered, Shane looked forward to Reese and Addison jogging ahead of him. When they came up to the corner, Reese ran straight into a tall woman with short jet-black hair wearing a white business suit. What was it with these people and white?
As the woman stumbled backward, Shane stepped up and looked into her eyes, which were cold as ice. Before he could compel her to do anything, two security men came up behind her with guns, making everyone stop. No one made a sound. Everyone stared at each other as if waiting for the other to move. Addison reached for his hand, and Shane automatically took it, giving a squeeze of assurance that he didn’t feel. This wasn’t good. Where were Theo and Tavia? Shouldn’t Tavia have incapacitated the others by now and been right behind them? They could certainly use her help right about now.
Just then, Jagger walked up behind the two armed men and pulled out his weapon. “Drop your weapons and slowly kick them behind you.”
Shane watched as both men raised their arms into the air, not knowing it was only Jagger behind them. Unfortunately, the black-haired ice queen took a chance and shouted out that there was only one man. At the same time, Jagger yelled for Reese to use her power. Reese froze. Shane pulled Addison behind him to give her any protection his body would allow, but Reese never released her energy. One of the guards turned and fired a shot. Jagger’s body was lifted into the air by the force of the bullet, and he landed with a thud on his back.
Theo and Tavia came running around the corner, stopping when they saw the carnage. The ice queen smiled an evil smile with her red-painted lips. Shane felt more than saw Reese draw in a breath and would have laughed at the bitch’s face when she realized what Reese was about to do if he hadn’t thought they were all going to die. Reese was out of control, and the keening noise that came from her was like that of a wounded wild animal. Shane turned around and grabbed Addison up in his arms, covering her head, knowing it probably wouldn’t help, but his instinct prevailed anyway. He heard Theo yell as he tried to reach around him and Addison to stop Reese, but it was too late.
Lights exploded, doors swung off their hinges, glass shattered, and people died.
Chapter Ten
All Shane heard was an eerie quiet. Darkness swallowed them except for the orange and yellow sparks dancing from the loose wires hanging down from the ceiling. He slowly pulled his arms away from Addison and placed his palms on her wet cheeks. They were alive.
“You okay?” Shane whispered, not able to see her expression. Shane could feel her shaking and brought her back against his chest. “Answer me, Addison. Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Shane closed his eyes in relief. Why did he feel the need to protect her?
Bam!
The generator kicked in, bringing on the emergency lights situated every two feet along the ceiling. Not a lot of light, but enough to now see what lay before them. Shane heard Theo yell and felt him push past, dropping to his knees in front of Reese, who now lay unconscious on the floor. He looked farther and saw the ice queen laying up against the left side of the hallway, her neck at an odd angle and her eyes staring straight ahead, the earlier smile wiped off her face. The two guards had been blown down the hallway and now lay dead. Jagger still remained in the place where he went down after being shot. Tavia ran around the trio on the floor and scrambled to her knees to check on Jagger. How could he still be alive after Reese took out the enemies? Jagger hadn’t been standing behind Reese to be absorbed into her bubble of protection, as had been explained to the team before this rescue operation. Reese had specifically told them where they needed to be if she was to use her powers, and Jagger certainly had not been in the right spot.
“I’ve got a pulse! He’s alive!” Tavia hurriedly pulled off the jacket she had on and placed it on his chest to stop the bleeding. “Theo, we need to get him out of here. If Jagger’s still alive, then others could be, too, and coming our way.”
Theo was still on his knees next to Reese, smoothing her hair back from her face. Theo kept glancing to where Jagger lay, but couldn’t seem to move. Shane glanced down at Addison, and she, too, was staring at Jagger. Letting go of her shoulders after making sure she wasn’t going to fall, he turned and walked over to Theo. Leaning down, he ordered, “Theo, carry Reese out to our vehicle. I’ll get Jagger into the delivery van and meet you guys back at the airstrip. We don’t have time to waste.”
Theo didn’t utter a sound, but nodded his consent.
“Tavia, go with them. I’ll fireman carry Jagger out and take Addison with me. Call that doctor Jagger knows and see if we can’t get him to the compound somehow.”
“Okay. Have Addison keep pressure on the wound,” Tavia instructed as she ran after Theo and Reese.
Shane walked over to where Jagger lay and knelt down beside him. Removing the jacket Tavia had used for pressure, Shane saw the bullet hole. Seeing the blood pool behind Jagger’s shoulder, he knew the shot went straight through. At least the bullet wasn’t lodged inside, but the amount of blood loss didn’t look good. Shane was just about to arrange Jagger in a way that he could put him over his shoulders in a fireman stance, when Addison’s tiny hand lay on his shoulder.
“Wait.”
Shane looked up from her dainty fingers into her blue eyes, which were now wet with tears. He wasn’t sure what her problem was, but there was no way they could wait a minute longer. At the sight of Jagger’s blood loss, it was doubtful he would live through the flight. “Addison, we don’t have time. We’ve got to leave now! Move your ass through those double doors. I’m right behind you.”
“He won’t survive if you move him. The bullet nicked an artery and he’s bleeding out.”
“You think I don’t see all this blood? He’ll die either way, but I’ll be damned if I leave him here!” For how small Addison was, she certainly had a lot of strength. When she used her hands to shove him aside, he landed on his ass next to Jagger’s head. “What the hell was that for?”
“It’s too late.”
* * * *
Jagger pulled his gun and demanded, “Drop your weapons and slowly kick them behind you.”
His hands steady, Jagger looked at Reese with a calm expression, like holding people at gunpoint was an everyday occurrence. A woman with raven-black hair who had no soul in her dead, cold eyes spun around. Reese looked back at Jagger to warn him, when she saw him mouth to her, “Use your power.” Was he crazy? Didn’t he understand if she used her power he would die? He was standing behind her targets. He would be a casualty. She wouldn’t do it.
Everything went to hell. The woman shouted out at the two guards, they spun, Jagger yelled for her to expel her energy, and Reese froze, not willing to trust her ability to get them out of the situation without hurting Jagger. Time slowed when Reese saw the bullet slam into Jagger’s chest. By the time he landed on his back, the shock that pounded through Reese’s system was too much for her mind to handle.
Jagger. Blood. Lifeless.
Reese’s scream was cut off when two warm arms scooped her up off the couch. It was Jagger’s couch, she thought, as realization clawed through the leftover dream. They were back home, at the compound. Why didn’t she remember the flight back? She tried to get loose from whoever was holding her. Flashes of Jagger swam through her head.
Jagger. Blood. Lifeless.
Reese struggled to escape the security the arms offered, knowing she needed to get to Jagger.
“I’ve got you, Reese. It’s okay. I’m fine.”
The words didn’t penetrate, and Reese used all of her strength to propel her forward, stumbling until she stood a few steps away from the couch. “Jagger! Theo, where is he? Where’s Jagger?”
Her shoulders were grabbed from behind to keep her from running to Theo, who was standing a few feet away. Reese was spun around to face startling green eyes wet with tears. “I’m right here, honey.”
Elizabeth, Peyton - Noble Desire [Nature's Nobles 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 10